Quince Jelly with Optional Apple and Chilli
Fragrant quince jelly with an optional chilli kick. It’s a sweet, tart and easy to make flavoursome jelly which is also very versatile. Make it purely with quinces, if you’re lucky enough to have a sufficient quantity, or add apples to bulk them up if needed.
Jams and jellies are things of beauty and wonder. I love to preserve summer and autumn’s bounty and to create these delicious jewel-like jars of deliciousness. I make jam and jelly regularly, but although I have several jam recipes on the blog, for some reason I don’t have any for jelly. It’s time to remedy that lack.
What is a Quince?
I’m sure most of you are familiar with quince, but for those who aren’t, I thought a few sentences about this gorgeous fruit might be useful.
Cydonia Oblonga
True quince (Cydonia oblonga) is a deciduous tree in the Rosaceae family. It bears a sweetly scented yellowish green edible fruit, similar in appearance to a pear, although it’s not very pleasant to eat raw.
The fruit is quite tough, so you need to cook it for a long time for it to go soft. The most common ways to eat quinces are as membrillo, quince jelly and simply poached. However, I do have a rather lush recipe for a quince tart and also one for quince cake.
Sadly, it’s not particularly easy to get hold of, unless you know someone who has a quince tree. Farmer’s markets are the most likely source.
Whilst quince grows quite successfully over most of Europe and other parts of the world, the quince tree is native to Western Asia. If you’re lucky enough to find quinces this October, they will most likely have been imported from Turkey or Iran.
Chaenomeles Japonica
Japanese quince (Chaenomeles japonica), on the other hand, is a bush rather than a tree and is covered in thorns. It’s quite a common garden plant here in the UK and has really pretty pink or red flowers. One of our neighbours back in Liskeard used to have a hedge of it and in the spring it was always covered in bright red flowers which lasted for ages. The plant is also known as Maule’s quince.
Whilst the fruit is fragrant, it’s not as powerfully so as true quince. But it’s more readily available as so many gardens have it. For some unknown reason, however, the fruit is usually ignored. It’s a pity, because kuso-boke, as it’s called in Japanese, is well worth using.
The fruit I’ve used in this quince jelly are of the Japonica variety. But you can just as easily use true quince, if that’s what you happen to have.
What’s the Difference Between Jam and Jelly?
Jams and jellies are both great ways to preserve seasonal fruit to enjoy throughout the year. The main difference between them is that jams use the whole fruit, whereas jellies are made with the strained liquid only. This means that whilst you can easily make jam in a day, you need more time to make jelly. This is mostly because it’s a three stage process. See the next section for details.
Jellies should be clear, bright and flavoursome. In order to make them, you need to have fruit that are either very juicy or are high in pectin. Having said that, even with juicy fruit that are low in pectin, it’s best to add some high pectin fruit such as a lemon, lime or apples. Traditional jellies include: blackberry and apple, redcurrant, blackcurrant, crab apple, medlar and quince.
Quince Jelly with Apple and Chillies
Quince jelly is one of the easiest jellies to make as the fruit is particularly high in pectin. But it’s not a quick process. You need to make quince jelly in three stages.
Quince Jelly Stage One
The first thing you need to do is wash the quinces and apples, if using. Next chop them into rough pieces, but do ensure any bad bits are thrown into the compost bin. There’s no need to peel or core the fruit, in fact you want as much of it as you can get. Quinces are quite tough, so use a sturdy knife. Throw everything into a large lidded pot, cover with water and simmer until the fruit is soft. This normally takes about half an hour.
Quince Jelly Stage Two
For this second part, you will need a jelly bag or muslin cloth. I don’t have a jelly bag, but have always found a piece of muslin easy to use. Place a sieve over a bowl and lay the muslin over the sieve. Then pour the fruit into the bag or cloth. When most of the juice has drained through, gather up the corners of the cloth and tie a piece of string around the top. I usually use an elastic band for this as I find it easier than having to tie the cloth one handed.
Suspend the cloth from somewhere it can drip into the bowl. I used to use a kitchen cupboard door handle back in Liskeard, but now use a tap in a seldom used sink instead. Allow the juice to drip at its own pace overnight or for a good few hours. Do not squeeze the bag. It’s important that you don’t force through any solids or you won’t have a clear jelly. Having said that, don’t worry if the liquid is cloudy; it will clear as it cooks later in the process.
Quince Jelly Stage Three
Finally, make the jelly, as described in the recipe at the bottom of this post.
How Can I Tell if My Quince Jelly is Set?
Luckily, because of its high pectin content, quince jelly is easy to set. The best way to know when you’ve reached setting point is to keep two saucers in the freezer. After ten minutes, or when you think it’s getting close, drop half a teaspoon of the jelly onto a cold saucer and leave for a few seconds to cool. Push your finger up against the jelly and if it forms a skin and wrinkles up, it’s ready. Alternate the saucers and test every couple of minutes until it’s set.
Why Add Apples?
You don’t need apples to make this jelly, pure quince jelly is a thing of delight. However, I’ve added apples as I didn’t have enough quinces to make a decent amount. Plus I wanted to use up some of the windfalls which are littering our garden. Jelly is a great way to use up windfalls, as you don’t need to peel or core the fruit, just cut out any bad bits.
Just like apples, quinces are high in pectin, so it’s a really easy jelly to set. Use sour apples if you can or even crab apples.
How Long Will Quince Jelly Last?
Jelly makes a great store cupboard staple. If you’ve set your quince jelly properly and store in well sealed sterilised jars, it should last for at least a year and probably two. Just keep your jars in a cool dry place. I store mine at the back of a kitchen cupboard. Once you open a jar, keep it in the fridge and it should last for at least two months.
How to Sterilise Glass Jars and Lids
It’s important to use sterilised glass jars when you make any kind of preserves. I wash them well in warm soapy water, then dry them out in a warm oven at 140℃ (275℉, Gas 1) for 15 minutes. If you have a dishwasher, you can run them through that instead. To sterilise the lids, I boil them in water for a few minutes, then leave to dry before sealing the jar’s contents. For more information on this, head over to my post how to sterilise glass jars.
Chilli Jelly
The chilli addition in this quince jelly is purely optional. But I do like a bit of chilli. I’ve only added one teaspoonful of a not particularly hot chilli, so it gives just a hint of heat. The amount of heat will depend on the chilli flakes you use. Add more or less depending on the quantity of the jelly you make and how hot you like it.
Ensure you use dried chilli flakes as fresh chillies will inhibit the keeping qualities of your jelly. Add them just after you take the chilli jelly off the heat and stir well. As long as you’ve reached the correct setting point, the flakes will be suspended in the jelly.
If it’s primarily chilli jelly you’re after, you can make it with apples instead of quince if you like. They’re a lot easier to get hold of.
The red flakes suspended in the jelly give it quite a striking look. In fact, why not gift a jar of quince jelly with chilli? It would make a fabulous Christmas present or addition to a homemade food hamper.
Alternatives to Quince Jelly
If you’re unable to get hold of quinces to make jelly, you can substitute apples instead. Apples are a lot easier to get hold of. Both quinces and apples are high in pectin which equals an easy set. Apple jelly isn’t quite as flavoursome as quince, but it’s still very good. It’s best to use sour apples, or slightly underripe ones as these are higher in pectin. Windfall apples and crab apples also work well.
Medlar jelly is another good alternative. It has a lovely, slightly toffeeish flavour, but a softer set than either apple or quince. Another favourite is hedgerow jelly. This is a good one to make the most of foraged autumn fruits. It’s a bit sweeter than the quince jelly and doesn’t contain any vinegar. But my goodness, it’s delicious.
You can actually use this recipe for pretty much any jelly you care to make. The quantities of sugar to fruit juice are the same regardless of the type of fruit you use. But please note, setting points will vary.
How to Eat Quince Jelly
Quince jelly is really versatile – with or without the apples and chilli. It’s actually fabulous spread on buttered bread or toast, just as you’d have jam. It has a lovely flavour. But you can enjoy it in lots of other ways too.
It’s perhaps best known as an excellent accompaniment to cheese in much the same way as membrillo. Add a pot to your Christmas or dinner party cheeseboard, it’s bound to go down well. Whilst we’re talking Christmas, a jar of homemade quince jelly would make a lovely festive gift.
Add it to sauces, gravies and stews for a bit of sweetness and additional flavour. It works particularly well to liven up a tomato sauce, especially one made with tinned tomatoes.
I’ve even been known to use it for my vegan honey & almond granola when my dandelion honey‘s run out. Although, not when it’s a chilli jelly too.
Keep in Touch
Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make this quince jelly, with or without the apples and chillies, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. And do please rate the recipe. Have you any top tips? Do share photos on social media too and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.
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If you’d like to preserve other fruit and vegetables, I have a few not-to-be-missed recipes in my Preserves category.
Choclette x
Quince Jelly. PIN IT.
Quince Jelly with Optional Apple and Chilli
Ingredients
- 1 kilo quince or a mix of quinces and apples
- 450 g golden granulated sugar
- 50 ml apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp dried chilli flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Chop the fruit into rough pieces, ensuring any bad bits are thrown into the compost bin. There’s no need to peel or core the fruit, in fact you want as much of it as you can get. Quinces are quite tough, so use a sturdy knife.1 kilo quince
- Chuck the fruit into a large lidded pot. Add just enough water to cover. Bring to the boil with the lid on and simmer for about 30-40 minutes or until the fruit is mushy.
- Set a jelly bag or muslin lined sieve over a large glass or pottery bowl. Pour in the contents of the pan.
- Once most of the juice has drained out, suspend the jelly bag or tied muslin cloth above the bowl and allow it to drip overnight or for a good few hours. You want to extract as much as the juice as possible, but don’t be tempted to squeeze the bag.
- The next day, sterilise your jars and throw the leftover pulp into the compost bin.
- Measure out the juice and for every 600ml (1 pint) add 450g sugar and 50ml cider vinegar. I got 600ml exactly.450 g golden granulated sugar, 50 ml apple cider vinegar
- In a large pan, heat the mixture gently until the sugar has dissolved. Then bring it to the boil. Remove any scum – there will probably be a lot.
- Continue to boil until the jelly reaches setting point. This could be anywhere between 10 and 20 minutes. Mine set after only 8 minutes. To test setting point, place half a teaspoon of juice onto a cold saucer or plate and push it with a teaspoon or your finger. If it wrinkles it's set, if it doesn't carry on boiling.
- Turn the heat off and leave a couple of minutes for the bubbles to subside. Stir in the chilli flakes, if using.1 tsp dried chilli flakes
- Pour or ladle into warm sterilised jars. Cover with wax discs, seal and label.
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
Sharing
I’m sharing my chilli and apple quince jelly with Recipes Made Easy for #CookBlogShare.
I have at last treated myself to a jam pan omg the difference it make to time and clarity of everything no stopping me now xx
Yay! That’s useful to know. Go for it Ginny.
I have made this three times this year it’s my first year of any sort of preserves this recipe is foolproof even without a proper jam pan and it’s delicious totally recommend it
I’m also thinking when I can’t get quince of trying it with just apples or apples and pears
So pleased for you Ginny, it’s such a good feeling when you’ve made a few jars to store or giveaway. I don’t have a proper jam pan either as I don’t have much space in my kitchen, but it would be nice to have one. Both apples and crab apples make a brilliant jelly, but I’ve never tried it with pears.
Love the recipe, just wondering is there anything I can do with the quince pulp left? It seems a some to throw it away.
Thank you
I agree, it does seem a shame. It’s a lovely idea to use the pulp, but you’d probably have to peel and core the fruit first and put those bits in a bag so that you can easily remove them later. For me that’s a step too far. But I believe you can make quince paste with the leftover pulp. You could always try making a chutney out of it too. You could also try using my spiced apple chutney as a rough guide. You could also make this quince tart or something similar. Do let us know how it goes if you do use it. Good luck.
Hi Eleanor
See if anyone keep chickens I give all my pulps to someone in the village it got snapped up when I put it on the local facebook page now I just msg the person when I have some whatever I’m making xx
Love this tip Ginny. Thanks for the suggestion.
Great, simple recipe.
I love the colour of quince jelly – jewels on the pantry shelf – and the chili gives a nice kick,
Yes, it’s good recipe and so useful too. A spoonful certainly livens up the gravy. Merry Christmas.
I am making a double batch of quince jelly right now and have discovered that putting whole quinces in the crockpot overnight on low – as many as will fit, cutting any brown bits off and filling it to the brim with water gives the most incredible clear red juice with no need for a jelly bag to drip the next day. Just a tip! Thanks for this recipe, it works great
Oh that’s interesting, thanks for the tip. It sounds like less work for sure. I wonder if there’s any impact on the flavour though.
I took your suggestion here and it made my life so much easier! I foe the buy cheesecloth for draining. I am wondering if the vinegar taste will go away with time? I made these about 3 months before I plan to use them.
Hi Devin. Quince jelly is more of an accompaniment to savoury and/or high fat content food and the vinegar adds acidity to a fruit which doesn’t really have much of its own. This gives it a bit of an extra tang which works well when used like this.
Fabulous recipe. First jar went to my brother in law as he loves quince, second lot is draining now and the first jar no chilli as the sister don’t like heat.
Really easy recipe to make and turns out fabulous. Inundated with quince and figs at the moment but have found great recipes on this site. This one is definitely a keeper
Thanks for letting us know Pauline. You have lucky siblings indeed. I like the idea of being inundated with quince and figs. There’s a recipe for fig jam on the blog if you haven’t already found it.
We are lucky enough to have a quince tree nearby that no one else wants to harvest! I borrowed your recipe today and added jalapeño and habanero to kick up the spice. The jelly set perfectly and is bright and light. The quince flavor is there with the heat following. Thank you!
Oh yes, how wonderful to have easy access to a quince tree. Your jalapeño and habanero version of the jelly sounds really good. Thank you for letting us know.
I golden sugar the same as brown sugar?
No, don’t use brown sugar. Golden sugar is a less refined form of white sugar, but if you can’t get hold of it use white. Brown sugar will give a muddy colour to the jelly. It should shine brightly like a jewel.
What happened if it doesn’t set fully by next day?
Best thing to do, is tip it all back into the pan and bring to a hard boil for a couple of minutes or so. It’s probably nearly there, just not quite. Alternatively, it could be that you cooked it for too long.
Hi, found some quince growing wild just around the corner from where I live. Am just about to try your recioe for the first time, including some home grown Habenero chilli. Just wondering, do you keep the quince pips when doing the initial boiling?
Hi James. Yes, absolutely. Pips are good for pectin and everything gets served out when you put it in the jelly bag / muslin cloth. Well done on the find. Would love to hear how you get on.
Thanks Choclette, I was too excited to wait for a response so cracked on with making the jelly anyway. I removed the pips to be on the safe side and didn’t have any problems with setting, took about 15 mins to get to setting point so might have got there a bit quicker if I’d left the pips in..
The jelly is absolutely delicious, especially with cheese and biscuits. Thanks for the recipe.
Yay, glad it worked for you James. The pips do help with the setting, but you’ll know for next time now. And you’re so right, it’s fabulous with cheese and biscuits.
I wondered if you could adjust the wording for the quince and chilli jelly? At the start of the recipe after peeling the quinces, you say to chuck everything in the pan. So I chucked everything in the pan, covered with water and started cooking. Now, reading down, it appears when you said ‘everything’ you didn’t mean the sugar and the cider vinegar and the chilli….. Ooops! Too late now!!
Hi Maria, thanks for alerting me to this. I’ve just read the recipe and can see where the confusion arose. So sorry you’ve gone wrong. It’s always a good idea to read any recipe through first before you start cooking – it’s an old adage, but a helpful one. Really hope you can rescue it and it works for you anyway. Have altered the wording now.
I ;pve quince and combining with apples and chilli is a great idea.
My mum planted a quince tree a few years ago and I was so looking forward to it producing. But it’s got some horrid disease where all the leaves fall off in the summer and it’s not produced a single fruit.
I love jam but I adore jellies, and love to make them with homegrown produce when I can. I’ve never cooked with quince, though wondering if we can find space for a quince tree in our new garden!
Oh yes Kavey, you absolutely must get a quince tree. It would be a fabulous addition to your garden. I’d love one.
I’ve never come across quinces but I seem to think I know what they taste like. Your jelly looks so delicious I’m literally drooling as I look at the pictures. Just need to find some quinces now!
You should grow quince in your garden Camilla – the bush rather than the tree. The flowers are really pretty and then you get the fruit too.
I love quince paste here in France that accompanies cheese – but I love your jelly even more, Choclette. Adore how you added some chilli to it and the mix with the apples. Lovely job!
Thanks Jill. Quince paste is very special, bit quince jelly is easier. We love it with the bonus chilli too.
Hello. I’m going to do your recipe, and in preparation I bought some lovely fresh chillies. Do you think it’s worth making it with the fresh or should I go with dried chillies..? Looking forward to making it. Thank you.
Vickie
Falmouth
Well, you can certainly make it with fresh chillies, but I’m not sure how well they’d suspend in the jelly. It might be better if going down that route to boil the chillies with the quince prior to straining. You could try finely slicing the chillies and adding them along with the juice in the second stage, but I don’t know if they’d sink.
Look at it, it’s jewel like. How gorgeous! Bet it tastes gorgeous too. Sharing now.
Thanks Jac. Jellies are worth making for their jewel like qualities alone, though they do taste good too. Quince is my all time favourite though.
I saw some quinces at a farmer’s market last week but wasn’t entirely sure what to do with them. Well now I know! I hope they’ve still got some left this week so I can make this
Don’t miss a chance to buy quinces if you can Emma. Quince jelly is delicious, but if you leave them for a few days in a room before cooking them, it will scent that room most delightfully.
This quince jelly looks like it is worth the wait. I can already taste the sweet, chilli flavours on my morning toast. Thank you!
Well do let me know if you make it James. It’s a wonderful thing to have on morning toast.
This jelly is such a beautiful colour! I’ve never tried it before, I’d really love to.
Quince jelly is one of the easiest to make. Definitely worth giving it a go – with or without the chilli.
I love quinces – they have such a wonderful flavour. This jelly looks delicious and adding chillies is a fantastic idea!
They do indeed have a wonderful flavour and true quince gives a really beautiful colour too.
Love the sound of this jelly I imagine wit would be superb with cheese. I make apple jelly but never quince I should try it. Thank you for linking to #CookBlogShare
Quince jelly is even easier to make than apple jelly and it tastes delicious too. Give it a go.
This looks and sounds superb! We just bought at house this past spring, and I was sure that there was a quince tree in the backyard. Turns out, my ability to determine what type of fruit tree there is based on the branches and leaves are not what I thought they might be. They were crab apples. Nonetheless, they also make a great jewel-like jelly. If I had thought about it at the time, I would certainly have added a spicy component to mine too. There’s always next year!
But how lovely to have a crab apple in your garden. Crab apple jelly is also lovely. In my dreams I have an orchard with a whole variety of fruit trees and one of those trees would be a quince.
Adding chillies is genius! I love chillies and this is now top on the what to make this weekend list.
The chillies work really well Sisley. The jelly isn’t too hot, but you know those chillies are there.
Quince jelly makes me think of Christmas! It’s a must for me and my Christmas cheese board but it’s always bought in. In my defence I tend to get it at the Christmas market from one of the local producers. I love the addition of chilli in yours and would love to make my own, just need to try and get hold of some quince! 🙂
I’m all for supporting local markets Jo, but there is something very satisfying about making your own. Good luck with your quince hunt. I reckon farmers markets would be your best bet.
It’s HIGH time for some quince! I love how your jelly turned out. Wish I could reach in and grab some to spread on my morning toast :-))
That would be a great way to start the day Angie, especially with a gentle nudge of chilli.
Yum!
I am lucky enough to live in Andalucia, where true quinces grow in abundance – hence the Spanish dulce de membrillo. As soon as they appear in the local market, or on peoples doorsteps/street corners (a common way to get produce direct from people’s campos) I shall make this wonderful sounding preserve. Thank you!
Thank you Isobel. The quince jelly is delicious, but so is membrillo. How wonderful to have such easy access to quinces, but as you say, Spain is famous for them.